Fauna

Lake LaVerne is comprised of a diversity of zooplankton, insects, benthic organisms, and fish. Unfortunately, various goldfish are introduce into the lake by students who want to give their pets a different home. However, other organisms are present to take care of this "goldfish problem". As part of the restoration project of the lake, Sir Lancelot and Elaine are additions to the fauna diversity of Lake LaVerne.

Maintenance

Lake Laverne is an important resource but requires maintenance just like any other part of the campus landscape. Such ponds and small lakes are a major resource in Iowa, and Iowans have a growing interest in their management and maintenance. ISU is therefore developing expertise and educationa opportunities in this field. An interdisciplinary team is making sure that Lake LaVerne becomes the source of beauty that the original campus planners foresaw.

We are working toward this goal both in the short and long terms. Short-term, academic scientists, students and FP & M personnel are working together to monitor Lake Laverne to define the causes of algae growth and apply cost-effective, environmentally acceptable measures of remediation. Algae will grow in this nutrient rich environment regardless of the use of herbicides or toxic chemicals; thus we are using biological methods of improving the esthetic quality of the lake. Aeration maintains a healthy sedimentary environment that efficiently decomposes organic materials that fall into the lake, while enhancing animal life and reducing nutrient release. Surface skimming is being used to mechanically harvest nuisance filamentous algae when they become abundant. Alum flocculation has been used to reduce overall nutrient levels, slowing excess plant and algae growth. This sort of interactive management is even more necessary in water bodies than are mowing, periodic soil amendment or treatment needed to manage lawns. Although the success of any of these measures may be, in part, dictated by unpredictable things like weather patterns, the management program has improved the beauty and balance of the Lake LaVerne environment. Continued success, however, requires a good long-term plan for the biological management of Lake Laverne.

Iowa waters are naturally rich in nutrients and plants will grow in excess in any water body with rich nutrients. There are many ways that the kinds of plants that grow can be managed, however, and this will greatly impact the esthetic quality of Lake LaVerne. The Lake LaVerne Management Committee has discussed many interesting options for long-term management, including artificial cascading water gardens to remove nutrients, basin form modification to alter the growing environment, and nutrient immobilization and alteration of elemental ratios to shift communities from noxious species. We feel that these initiatives will ensure the quality of one of our most famous campus landmarks.